THESE smartly turned-out factory workers were wrapped up against the cold in thick coats and hats ready to welcome a royal visitor. Sadly, they were set to be disappointed.

The photograph, from our archive, shows staff eagerly waiting outside the premises of William Buckler and Company, in Walnut Street, Leicester, in the late 1920s or early 1930s when a visit by the then Prince of Wales (later the Duke of Windsor) was planned. Although the Prince was not actually visiting Buckler’s factory, he was due to pass by the works en route to unveil a plaque at the Liberty Shoe Works.

Unfortunately, the route was changed at the last minute and the Prince’s entourage was sent down Jarrom Street instead. We can only wonder at how disappointed these workers must have been when they missed out on what was probably a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a member of the royal family up close.

And they had even gone to the trouble of decking out their aptly-named Crown Mills with Union flags and a banner which reads “Welcome to Our Prince”. The crowd, which mainly comprised women, also included several smartly-dressed children. Had they been allowed time off school for such an auspicious occasion, we wonder? An adult and two children can also be seen at the upstairs bedroom window of the adjoining property.